Vapor regulator



W. PARKS Mmh 3, 1931.-

VAPOR REGULATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. PARKS March 3, 1931.

VABOR REGULATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3, 1931. w PARKS I 1,794,919

VAPOR REGULATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet '3 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER PARKS, DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO VAPOR GAR HEATING COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VAPOR REGULATOR Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial No. 387,002.

This invention relates to atmospheric pressure or vapor steam heating systems, especially for railway cars; and the purpose of the invention is to provide certain improvements in the construction of the steam regulator, commonly called vapor regulator, for reducing and controlling the flow of steam from the train line to the radiator or radiators of the car in response to the tempera-- ture of the heating medium adjacent the outlet of the system, whereby the sensitiveness andaccuracy and functioning of the regulator are increased, and the heating system made more efficient and economical in its operation.

- One of the specific objects of the invention is to provide a steam regulator in which the controlling valve is opened against the train pipe pressure, by a construction of the device which does not require'such a close packing of the valve stem, or other operating element,

as might affect the sensitiveness of response of the valve to changes in temperature of the heating medium incontact with the governing thermostat.

Another object is to provide the regulator with two consecutively opening and closing valves,a main valve and a pilot valve as they may be called; this arrangement being adva-ntageous particularly in the case of a regulator designed to work against train pipe pressures which are frequently high.

Another obj ect-is to provide for complete ly, or substantially completely, enclosing the thermostat so that its operation is not affected and made irregular by air currents which are necessarily variable in accordance with the speed of the train.

Another object is to provide a steam regulator in which the valve or valves are closed by the expansion of a thermostatic member and opened, against train line steam pressure, by a spring which is'located outside of the steam spaces of the instrument so as not 4 to be aflected by the deteriorating influence of steam temperatures.

Other incidental objects will be referred to in the following description of the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a part of a car heating system employing a steam regulator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the steam regulator.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View, with the scale enlarged, on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary vertical sectional views of the upper portion of the regulator, Fig. 4 showing both main and pivot valves closed, and Fig. 5 the main valve closed, but the pilot valve open.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the valve stem or operating rod for seating and unseating the consecutively operated valves.

Fig. 7 is a. view in perspective of the element which provides the port between the high and low pressure chambers of the regulator, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the spring for unseat-ing the controlling valves when the thermostat contracts.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A designates the steam train pipe of the car, the flooring of which is indicated at B. O is a supply pipe from train line A to the steam regulator D, and E is a pipe from the low pressure side of the steam regulator to the radiator valve F, which is assumed to be the common fourway valve to which the inlet and return ends G, H are connected. J is a pipe leading from the radiator valve F to the thermostat chamber of the steam regulator D, and K is adrip pipe or nipple at the bottom of the thermostat chamber of the regulator, which nipple is preferably furnished with a flexible extension L, intended, in practice, to extend down within a few inches of the track, the rails of which are indicated at M.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, the steam regulator comprises a housing 10 for the thermostatic member which consists preferably of a capsule or hollow diaphragm 11, the housing being provided with a lower removable section 12 secured to the fixed section 10 by a clamping bolt 13 which passes through perforated ears 14 and 15 on the fixed and removable sections. Preferably, to prevent tampering with the adjustment of the iii new

thermostatic member, the clamping bolt 13 is sealed to the drip nipple K by a wire seal '16, which passes through perforations 17 and 18 in the head of the bolt and in the nipple,

- respectively. Pipe J from the discharge end cured tOIlPPQli andlower blocks 20., 21, and,

having their edges beaded'together'at and sealed with solder 23. The capsule thus drip nipple K, which latter is formed with discharge openings for the discharge of water of condensation.

, A bracket 10 formed on the side of the housing 10 supports a. valve casing 26 integrally. formed with the housing and bracket, which is dividedto provide a high pressure chamber 27 to which pipe O, leads and alow-pressure chamber 28 with Whichpipe E leading to the radiator valve]? isconnected. A port 'and seat forming member '29 (Fig. '3 having a threaded portion 30 is screwed into the web 31 intem eni-ng chambers 27 and 28. Member 29 is formed with a smooth cylindricalsurface'32 to receive the. "end of a screen 33. The squared end 3 1 of member 29 provides a seat for the main valve 35. The mam valve 35 and the-secondary or pilot valve '36 are operated by a rod 37, which extends through apacking gland 38 in the end wall 39 of the va-lve'casmg26 andhas fixed thereto a clevis member 40 provided on valve chamber 26. The intervening portions 01? the spring lie in grooves 51 on the under sideof the hub l l'of the bell-crank, (Fig. 3). An operating rod 52 is pivoted at 53 to the bell-crank. The lower end ofthis rod is intheform of a socket 541, and seats on the upper block 20 of the thermostatic diaphragm 11 over a boss 55 on said block.

The operating rod or valve stem 37 is formed near its inner end with asetof radial ribs 56 and also a set of ribs 57 of smaller radial dimension. The ribs '56 guide the-rod 37 in the port which extends'through momtion of the movable parts of theradiator when the system is cold. The thermostatic diaphragm 11 is, contracted and valves 35, 36 are unseated. When the steam is turned on, it passes from the train pipe A through pipe C to the high pressure chamber 27 and then through and around the screen 33 andthrough theport in member 29 mto-the low pressure chamber 28 .and thence to j the radiator E l1lOI1gh plPB E andtl1e .four-.'way valve-F. Water of condensation from" the radiator V ipassesthrough pipe J to the thermostat housi ormed is seated; on the upper end 2401? the ing 10 and out through the openings 25 and a fairly cold day, there will-preferably be enough condensate :tormed "to seal openings '25 so that the thermostat will be completely enclosed and-protected against air drafts,

which would constitute a variable factor, de-

pending upon the speed of the train, in the 3;

tunctionin-g of'the thermostat were the thermostatto any extent exposed to' such-drafts. "In the ordinary operatlon of the 'heatmgsys term. the temperature of the condensatewill not behi'gh enough to exp and the thermostat. As soon "however asst-eam-reachesthe thermostat housing, through pipe J, the-thermost-at will expand lifting rod 52 and rocking the "bell crank '43 against the tension of spring 47 so as to draw the valve stem 37 to :1; thelett, as shown in Fig. 2. "Valve 35will' first be seated underthe-pressure o'fsteam in chamber 27, against the end 01 member "29; and ultimately it-the expansion of the thermostat sufiicient, valve-36' will be moved to'its seat-against valve35. As the throttling of the port will involve a diminution of steam infiowresulting in the diminution ofor cessation of steam how to the thermostatchamber,

when the system has been in operation for a certain time, the controlling'valves will be in a balanced position admittingjjust enough steam to the system to makeu for radiation losses. Assuming, however, that the valves are both'seated (the condition illustrated in '1? ig. 4.) the opening of the valves, which takes place when thermostat '11 contracts, is

brought about by spring 17 aided by the weight of the bell crank 43 and rod 52,'against thetrain pipe steam pressure which may be very high. By providing .a pilot valve-36- which opensbeio-re themain valve 35 is unseated, so as to balance pressure on opposite sides of the main valve, the operation against train pipe pressure is facilitated. Because the valve is small the spring will open it against any ordinary train pipe'pressure. Under norma'lj-conditionsof operation, after the system hasbeen started up, the main valve may remain seated andcontrol be eiiected entirely through the movements of the pilot valve. j I

It will be observed that the member which drip pipeli. lV-ith the system in operation on operates-thevalves 35,'36,-th=at is to sa y, the

reciprocating rod- 37, enters the 5 high pressure chamber 27 from thelow pressure chamber 28, the rod being mounted slidably in the end wall 39 of the low pressure chamber. A.

. closely packed in its gland 38. If the operiii ating rod extended, for example, directly from the atmosphere into the high pressure chamber through a wall of such chamber, the packing which would be required in order to prevent leakage of the high pressure steam, would have to be such as to materially affect the freedom of movement of the rod and consequently diminish the sensitiveness of the controller to temperature fluctuations. By having two consecutively operating valves, 35, 86, spring 47 may be comparatively light, which is a further factor in the sensitiveness ofthe controller. Spring 47 is located on the outside of the instrument so that it is not subject to the deteriorating influences of high temperature steam.

Vhile the invention has been shown and described in a preferred embodiment, it is realized that changes might be made in the construction of the regulator without departure from theprinciples of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to cover the invention both in the preferred embodiment shown and also with all modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with the steam train pipe and radiator of a railway car heating system, a steam regulator provided with a high pressure chamber communicating with the train-pipe, a low pressure chamber communicating with the radiator and a port between said chambers, a valve operating rod, a main valve slidable on said rod, 2. pilot valve fixed to the end of the rod, a. bell crank to impart reciprocating movements to the rod and a thermostat to operate the bell crank.

2. In combination with the steam train pipe and radiator of a railway car heating system, a steam regulator provided with a high pressure chamber communicating with the train-pipe,.a low pressure chamber communicating with the radiator and a port between said chambers, a valve operating rod, a main valve slidable on said rod, a pilot valve fixed to the end of the rod, a bell crank to impart reciprocating movement to the rod, a thermostat to operate the bell crank in the valve closing direction and a spring to operate the rod in the direction to open the valves.

8. In combination with the steam train pipe and radiator of a railway car heating system, a steam regulator provided with a high pressure chamber communicating with the train pipe, a low pressure chamber communicating with the radiator and a member provided with a bore forming a port between said chambers, a reciprocating valve operating rod provided with guide ribs for guiding the rod in said port, and with guide ribs of less radial depth, a main valve slidably arranged on said second mentioned guide ribs, a pilot valve fixed to the end of said operating rod and thermostatically actuated mechanism for imparting reciprocating movements to said operating rod.

4. In combination with the steam train pipe and radiator of a railway car heating system, a steam regulator provided wit-ha high pressure chamber communicating with the train pipe, a low pressure chamber communicating with the radiator and means constitutin a port between said chambers, a valve operating rod extending through the low pressure chamber and into the high pressure chamber, a main valve slidably arranged on said rod, a pilot valve fixed to the end of the rod and mechanism for imparting reciprocatin movements to the rod comprising a thermostatic member and a housing for said member provided with an outlet for water of condensation, but which otherwise completely encloses the thermostat.

5. In combination with the steam train pipe and radiator of a railway car heating system, a steam regulator provided with a high pressure chamber communicating with the train pipe, a low pressure chamber communicating with the radiator, and means constituting a port between said chambers, a valve operating rod extending through the low pressure chamber and into the high pressure chamber, a main valve slidably arranged on said rod, a pilot valve fixed to the end of the rod and mechanism for imparting reciprocating movements to the rod comprising a thermostatic member, a housing for said member provided with an outlet for water of condensation, but which otherwise completely encloses the thermostat, a bell crank interposed between the thermostat and rod and a spring which is flexed when the rod is moved to close the valve.

WALTER PARKS. 

